Ben Affleck Says Batman Has No Script, Still Not a Sure Thing

While it certainly wasn't a critical hit, Warner Bros.' Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice not only started the studio's DC Extended Universe (DCEU), but introduced Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne/Batman. Even months before Batman v Superman was released, there was talk that the studio was so pleased with Ben Affleck's performance that they had brought him on to star in, direct and co-write the script for a movie that has come to be known as The Batman. While the project doesn't have a release date intact, it has been widely believed that this is certainly moving forward, but now it seems that may not be the case.

The Guardian caught up with Ben Affleck, who is promoting his new acting and directing effort, Warner Bros.' Live By Night, which is currently in theaters in limited release. Last month the actor/director revealed that he's finishing up the script and the project is on track to start filming this spring. However, in this new interview, he makes it seems that the project isn't actually set in stone at all, and it may not actually come together. Here's what the filmmaker had to say below.

"That's the idea. But it's not a set thing and there's no script. If it doesn't come together in a way I think is really great I'm not going to do it."

This latest statement mirrors comments Ben Affleck has made in the past, stating that this movie won't happen until the script is perfect. There was also a report last month that The Batman script is a mess, and the studio isn't happy with it, which hasn't exactly been confirmed. However, if Ben Affleck is now claiming that there is no script in place, it's possible that the studio is scrapping the script he co-wrote with Geoff Johns entirely, possibly bringing on a new writer. That hasn't been confirmed at this time though.

Last month, departing Warner Bros. production president Greg Silverman revealed that The Batman is on track for a 2018 release date, although the studio hasn't issued an official date at this time. Earlier this year, Warner Bros. set dates for two unspecified DC Comics movies, one which will arrive on October 5, 2018 and the other arriving November 1, 2019. Many had speculated that The Batman would be taking the October 5, 2018 slot, but Aquaman was later moved to that date. Now, many speculate that The Batman is taking Aquaman's old July 2018 release date.

No story details have been confirmed about The Batman at this time, but Ben Affleck has hinted in the past that this would be largely an original story, although there will be plenty of familiar characters. There will reportedly be a number of iconic villains showing up in The Batman, although Red Hood will not be one of them. However if the script is now being reworked by either Ben Affleck or a different writer, this story could be changed entirely, but we likely won't know for sure for quite some time.